The Grenada gazette., 1887-10-01
FOREST PRESERVA1,ou

/ OBSERVATION.
A Topic That vitality Touches ~. :,
perity Of the American Peonls 'fo''
No nation under the sun w,s s' IL a.,
OF peace ever SO wasteful as our .' ow.
The increasing ease Of securing , ,ns sn.
ply of food has tended for some hup a
dreds of years. if not thousands wv, ~
render human beings less economist
of means and careful of methods Thu
older races. like the Chinese neys, w
waste; to them every thing has its uss
But we have destroyed as much as W..
have produced. Forests, that na,,rs
raised by the labor Of a Thousand
years, we have burnt up in day. Civ.
ilization has invented the phrase clear.
ing up, which means wanton removal
of all things that stand in the wav q
our immediate needs Where vast
stretches Of oaks covered millions 4
acres it is difficult to find single grove
or q single tree; but how inestimabA
such remains are when found! It il
not wholly from the utilitarian stand.
point that we look, but the aesthetic
These are like their surroundings II
it be undesirable to dwell in the forest
it is still more undesirable to
dwell without the companionsbip
of trees. But as q matter Of
economy and physical necessity
we are compelled to have sympathy 70,
and with the vegetable world. Our des.
tiny, in common with the whole animal
Kingdom, is identified with the plant
kingdom. In the struggle for exist.
ence. from the outset, there has been a
mutual interdependcnco Of all living
things. If we destroy the trees we in.
jure cur own progress md prospects
In the present economy Of nature, pro.
toplasm, or the basis of life, can only
be created by the plant kingdom; from
it we receive the same at second hand.
But our existence is dependent on trees
and plants in many other ways, and al
ways has been. The earliest human
races were littoral, OF shore-dweller.
They had no tools to work their way
through forests. nor weapons to cope
with the denizens Of the forest But
with increase of the art Of making tools
human beings left the shore and roamA
the forests as hunters. 10 the hunting
races the destruction Of trees was the
destruction of their means Of existence
The North American Indian saw only
starvation in the white mans vnspa''
ing axe.
Civilization has brought us into even
closer relation to trees, and more inu'
mate dependence on vegetation Ih
equilibrium of the air, adjusting the
proportions of carbon gases for ou'
healthy existence. depends on trees
Malaria is not caused, but prevented,
by q judicious proportion Of forest
land. Prof. Shaler takes up the case
with great energy to show that tne
most serious result following the ae'
struction Of our forests will be me
consequent loss Of soil, turning vast
areas into deserts. "Already Large
part of many fertile regions has oeea
sterilizcd in this fashion; and eacn
year larger portion Of our infinitely
precious heritage Of soil slips IN"
rivers and finds its way to the sea- Oe''
cause we have deprived it OF the pro-
tecting coating Of vegetation" W.
have also to consider the immenx
vegetable deposit which is yearly aoa'
ed to the soil where forests aOounu'
Our own culture takes from the so'l
on the contrary, more than it gives
So the waste from rain is greater ~
titled soils than in wooded lands -
forests the soil is ever deepening ID I
open lands ever decreasing. Ihls ea
we must endure. but should be catc'u.
not to aggravate. The amount ~. =.
soil now swept away annua..! .1:
is actually clogging the large ,lss,,, ,ns
compelling them constantly 70 cnu"s n"s;
channels. The argument Of lrOs ,'o.
Shaler is pressed to show that no 'nss w..
has such . right in soil that he may "
wasteful Of It, or use it for the dlsaa. saa.
vantage Of his neighbors. oo's,s s,.s..
ment, he holds. should interfere 70 nv
vent waste Of forests. 49,.
This question Of forest presersa,''p1., :.
has been more or less considereu =.
several Of the States, but in fact spa1
from the encouragement OF tree p,a".
ing, little has been done In asy'"..
attic manner to regulate the use or Pr
vent the waste q trees. Our reIs.'o. '.o.
to the vegetable kingdom grows ."d. s,vI.
more intricate, and our serious oeps. .ac.
encs more emphasized constantly s.h.s S.r.
the demands of civilization for 'l~''
and fuel increase, and must increase. ~.
AZ present the greatest loss y ss.. y.
way 81 forest destruction 10 from n,~. ~.
BY locomotives. malice OF Sa,v s.v.
lessnesa Some Of the railroad, ~ y.
slready taken astion to prevent sne /, y. !.
cuvrence Of the evil from locomOs ~,
Dparka The plan adopted p y 49, ~.
Gway III timber grcwtl' iof "l ~ 4
drsd fsst On each 40 Of ths usc.. g .,,cs
lurroW h thea run along the ou'e. i. ss,si Ss
r 49, - - M Nholo koPt ~